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VOL. 42, NO. 6 March-April 2018 Whole No. 244

MORE RECENT “PURE” MASONIC ISSUES

The two “Philatelic items” were recently offered on eBay at a significant price. Although they are identified as being from the Central African Republic, I wonder if they have ever seen that nation or have they been created by a printer intended for sale to topical to specific topical collectors. As they are 6” high and 5½” wide, it is highly unlikely that any of them were used for postal purposes. The artwork was very nicely created but I doubt that they will ever appear in a catalog – be it Scott or Stanley Gibbons. I am starting to realize that many of the recent “Pure” Masonic Issues are not the product of the nations cited on the stamps. A recent one from Serbia was acknowledged by the Serbian Postal Authorities as being a “personal” stamp. Another Serbian stamp recognizing a 2015 Masonic convention was also acknowledged by the Postal Authorities to be a personal issue and they hold no responsibility for it.

******************************************** MASONIC STUDY UNIT OF THE AMERICAN TOPICAL ASSOCIATION

President Editor & Secretary-Treasurer

E. E. “Gene” Fricks Robert A. Domingue, BF 25 Murray Way 59 Greenwood Rd. Blackwood, NJ 08012 Andover, MA01810 genefricks@comcast.net radpm67@gmail.com

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MEMBERSHIP INFORMATION

NEW MEMBERS: 143. William A. Johnson, 1415 Fairmont Ave., Apt 320, Philadelphia, PA 19130 ADDRESS CHANGES: None CLOSED ALBUMS: - a long term member. 233. Marvin Scheer – Bro. Scheer passed away in mid-October, 2017 but we were not notified until his January-February 2018 Newsletter was returned: “Return to Sender, Deceased, Unable to

Forward”. James Lee informed me that the Koch family was very pleased with the write-up we had in the previous issue of “The Philatelic Freemason”. Jim has provided some additional illustrations of Ray’s Masonic Fancy Cancels with the hope that he might entice some more inquiries. He can bre reached at P.O. Box 3876, Oak Brook, IL 60522-3876, jim@jameslee.com, or (847) 462-9130.

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The Danse Macabre and the Masonic Graveside Oration By Gene Fricks

In the Masonic graveside oration we hear: “…We go on from design to design, add hope to hope, and lay out plans for many years, until we are alarmed by the approach of the messenger of death. What are all the externals of human dignity, the power of wealth, the dreams of ambition, the pride of intellect, or the charms of beauty, when Nature has paid her just debt? Fix your eyes on this scene and view life stripped of its ornaments, and you must be persuaded of the utter emptiness of these delusions. At the grave the scepter of the prince and the staff of the beggar are laid side by side. There all fallacies are detected, all ranks are leveled and all distinctions are done away...” This idea of death as the great leveler seems to have developed in Western Europe about the 13th century (the scholastic renaissance) and remained a “popular” (if that is the correct term) topic until the end of the 15th century. This encompassed the period of the Black Plague and the Hundred Years War that devastated much of central Europe. The subject did not capture much attention in areas south of the Alps, so the stamp issue by Slovenia (Scott 611a-b) is rather unusual. The concept of the dance of death saw a revival in French 19th century romantic literature and music. Camille Saint-Säens composed his Opus 40, the Danse macabre, perhaps his most popular piece.

This strip captures three panels of a fresco painted by Janez of Kastav in the small Church of the Holy Trinity in Hratovlje, Slovenia on the Istrian peninsula. The full fresco, entitled the Danse Macabre or Dance of Death depicts eleven figures from all walks of life – pope, kings, queens, cardinals, bishops, priests, tradesmen, the disabled, and even a child – each holding hands with a skeleton who leads them to the Master Skeleton, Death himself, who is holding the lid to the grave open. The stamps show only three of the figures: a priest with a book under his arm, a bishop and a cardinal. Beneath the fresco, though not shown on the stamps, is an inscription to illustrate the principle of equality of all before Death. The paintings were completed about 1490, were covered over at some point, and were rediscovered by a local painter Joze Pohlen in 1951. The church is now designated a World Heritage site. The images of the skeletons are embossed into the stamp paper.

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Many similar frescoes decorated churches in the Netherlands, the German principalities, France, Scandinavia, Austria and Hungary. Some were painted or engraved by the foremost artists of the period: Dürer, Holbein the Younger first published in 1538, and others. The first depiction of the subject is recorded in the monastery of Cimetière des Innocents in Paris about 1424. These frescoes were destroyed in 1699. The earliest appearances of the Danse Macabre were in story poems that told of encounters between the living and the dead. Most often the living were proud and powerful members of society, such as bishops and knights. The dead interrupted their procession: “As we are, so shall you be and neither your strength nor your piety can provide escape.” Holbein’s woodcut images are among the most memorable: people in the middle of their days and lives, visited unexpectedly and lead away by the skeleton Messenger of Death. Dürer’s image of the postrider confronting the skeleton has been cleaned up by Deutsche Post, removing the skeleton, for use in some of its publications.

********************************************************* RAUL REGO

Raul de Asuncion Pepper Rego was born on April 15, 1913 and died in Lisbon on February 1, 2002. He was a Portuguese journalist and politician. He was recently honored in 2013 on a stamp released by Portugal as part of a set depicting major characters of Portugal History and Culture. From 1924 to 1936 he attended the Seminary of the missions of the Holy Spirit in Viana do Castelo. He completed the course of Theology but abandoned the ecclesiastical career. He was a member of Democratic unity which led to his arrest in 1945 and later directed the press services of the Presidential candidacies of Generals Norton de Matos and Humbarto Delgado. He was again arrested in 1961, 1965, and 1968. By the activities against State security. As a journalist, he collaborated in several papers including the Republic, of which he became the director. In 1977 he became minister of Social Communication of the first provisional government. From 1975 to 1999 he was a Deputy for the Socialist Party. In 1976 the Congress of the International Foundation of newspaper publishers distinguished him with the Golden Pen of Freedom. Bro. Rego joined Freemasonry in 1971 and was elected Grand Master of the Grand Orient Luisitano serving from 1988 to 1990. He is also listed as Sovereign Grand Commander in Lisbon.

Article contributed by Bro, Eddy Levy of Australia

******************************************************************* The album pages on the next three pages have been contributed by Bro. David Sheard of

Western Australia

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IT WAS AN INTERESTING STORY – BUT NOT TRUE

Back in the January-February 2015 Newsletter, Whole number 2256, page 2609, I wrote an article on Russian General Nikolai Yudenich and the set of five stamps he has created while he was commander of the Caucasus Front in 1917.Those stamps carried four capital letters which supposedly translated into “Are You A Mason” and various designs which might be related to the Fraternity. I seemed to recall that I had seen that story in earlier days and thought it mighty be worth including it. The Masonic Stamp Club of Great Britain also included it in their magazine No. 146, page 17 and 18. In a later issue of their magazine, No. 152, page 23, they stated that research carried out by Bro. Christopher Murphy in the December 2015 issue of the Masonic Philatelist, the newsletter of the Masonic Stamp Club of New York, shows that the Russian writing on the stamps does not ask “Are you a Mason” – they simply state “Postage Stamp”. For some reason, I failed to recognize that article and did not follow their correction. Just recently, Bro. Jean-Claude Vilespy, of France asked a Russian Professor for a translation – he was also familiar with Russian Masonry. He translated the inscriptions on the stamps which were the same – except for the denominations which changed. For example, for the le 10 stamp reads:

10. Post. 10

Ten kopeks 1919 OKSA

There is no mention of Freemasonry and the OKSDA signifies “Special Corps, North Army”. Further, there is no knowledge of Nikolai Nikolayevich Yudenich having been a Mason. Sorry for the false information – it would have been an interesting inclusion in our collections.

************************************************************************ NEW ISSUES OF MASONIC INTEREST

The following new issues applicable to Masonic Philately, have been listed in the recent edition of Linn’s: 11/20/17 – 75th Wedding Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip – Ascension #1183-6, Falkland Islands #1205-8, Niue - #961-4, and Tokelau - #481-4. Chile – 8/20/17 - #1649 – 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Chacabuco – picturing Jose de San Martin. Colombia – 7/6/17 - #1456-7 – Stamp and souvenir sheet issued for the 300th Anniversary of the First Grand Masonic Lodge . France – 6/23/17 - #5257 – Joachim Murat French Marshall, Admiral, and King of Naples.

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MR. FRED ROGERS – A FREEMASON?? The USPS has announced that there will be a “Forever” stamp released on March 23 honoring Fred Rogers of Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood. There are several false stories regarding why he always wore a red sweater, but none are correct. I seem to remember an article I saw some years ago which stated that he was a Freemason. Does anyone have any information on that possibility, so an article can be written?

************************************************************** CAMILO OSIAS

Camilo Osias Mapua is pictured on a stamp issued on May 18, 1889 as part of a set honoring great Filipinos.

Brfo. Camilo Osias was initiated, passed and raised in August 1918 in Bagumbayan Lodge No. 4. He became Master of this Lodge in 1948. In 1952 he was elected Junior Grand Warden and progressed through the chairs to Grand Master in 1955 being the 38th Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines. He was also active in the higher bodies. He joined the Scottish Rite in 1938 and became Sovereign Grand Commander in 1970. He was a member of Manila Chapter No. 2, R.A.M., a Shriner and a member of Rosario Villaruel Chapter, Order of Eastern Star. His wife was a Past Worthy Matron of Sampaguita Chapter No. 3, O.E.S.

Camilo Osias was born on March 23, 1889 in Balaoan, La Union, Philippines and was one of the first Filipino scholars sent by the government to the US during the American regime. He obtained his Teacher’s diploma from Western Illinois State Teachers College in 1908 and a B.A. and B.S. in Education from Columbia University. He also attended the University of Chicago and the Teachers College of New York City. He authored the well-known Philippine Readers, the prize-winning biography of Rizal and other books and magazines. Upon his return to the Philippines he taught school, became the first Filipino superintendent of schools in 1915 and 1916, assistant director of education 1917-21, lecturer at the University of the Philippines 1919-21 and President of the National University 1921-36. He was elected senator of the second district in 1925, Assemblyman in 1935, and a Senator in 1947 when he was named “Man of the Year”. He held many elected and appointed positions and served as minority and majority floor leader of the Senate and later as Senate President. He died in Manila on May 20, 1976.

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HORACE AUGUSTUS MOSES Horace A. Moses was honored on a stamp issued by the U.S. on August 6, 1984 as part of the Literary Arts series.

Bro. Moses was a member of Springfield Lodge, Springfield, Massachusetts. He was initiated on April 1, 1896, passed on June 10, 1896, and raised on October 7, 1896. He received his Grand Lodge Veteran’s Medal for 50 years of membership in 1947.

Horace Moses was born on April 21, 1862 in Ticonderoga, New York. After graduating from Troy Conference Academy in Poultney, Vermont in 1881, he entered the paper manufacturing industry and remained in that field for the rest of his life. He started with Agawam Paper Co., organized Mittineaque Paper Co. in 1892, consolidated it with Woronoco Paper Co. in 1911, and then into Strathmore Paper Co. becoming Chairman of the Board. He was very interested in developing a closer relationship between the city and the country and in improving the position of the farmer. He founded Junior Achievement.in Bloomington, Indiana and became honorary president of it. He died on April 22, 1947 in Springfield, Massachusetts.

************************************************************ KVAPIL JAROSLAV

Kvapil Jaroslav was born on September 9, 1868 in Chudence, within the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. He was the son of a scholar from that town and went to elementary school there. Later, he studied in Klatovy and Pisen and followed a training in Medicine, philosophy, and law in Prague but never finished his studies and became a writere of lyric poems and plays and a theater director. From 1888 to 1902 he participated in the humorous magazine, Svenda (pleasure) under the pseudonym Olaf and the title “bagpipes”. His interest in the theater was fueled by his first wife and in 1898 he helped found the Urania Theater in Prague and after many years of hard work in theater life and worked for many years for the National Theater in Prague and the Municipal Theater in Kra.lovske Vi-nohrady where he directed, translated, and wrote librettos and theater performances. During the First World War, he joined a group of artists who opposed the Danube monarchy. On his initiative, in 1917, a Manifesto of Czech Writers was drafted which insisted on the complete independence of Austria. From 1918 to 1920 he was a member of the revolutionary Assembly of the Czechoslovak Republic. During World War II he was imprisoned a nd spent eleven months in solitary confinement until liberation. On February 22, 1948, he signed a request for the maintenance of democracy by the Democratic Party of the Republic. He died on January 10, 1950 in Praag, then in Czechoslovakia.

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Bro. Jaroslav was admitted to the German-speaking Lodge in Prague “Hiram zu den drei Sternen”. Later he joined the Lodge “Jan Amos Komensky”. Together with Bro. Alfons Mucha and Ladislav Syllaba, he participated in the restoration of Freemasonry in Czechoslovzakia. He contributed to the founding of the Grand Lodge “Narodni Velika Loze Ceskoslovenska”, of which he became the Grand Master. Bro. Syllaba also became Grand Master of thed Grand Lodge. Eventually, he became a member of the Lodge “Pravda vutez” in Prague. That Lodge was founded in Prague in 1908 under the jurisdiction of the Symnbolic Grand Lodge of Hungary but carried out its activities in the Hungarian area, namely in Pressburg (now Bratislavia, Slovakia). Bro. Kvapil is pictured on a souvenir sheet issued by the Czech Republic on Oc tober 4, 2017 commemorating the “Struggle for Czech Stazte 100years ago”. On th is sheet are also pictured Bros. Milan Rastislav Stefanik, Tomas Harrigue Masaryk, and Alois Jirasek.

******************************************************************* JOHN SENHOUSE GOLDI-TAUBMAN

John Goldi-Toubman was born on January 28, 1838 in Nunnery, Isle of Man ss the eldest son of John Taubman Goldie-Taubman and Ellen Senhouse and a half-brother of Sir George Taumban Goldie who founded the Royal Niger Company. He graduated from the University of Eton in 1856 and then went on to an active life. In 1859 he followed the footsteps of his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather becoming a member of the House of Keys – a Chamber of elected members of parliament, the so-called Tynwald Parliament of the Isle of Man. In 1860 he married Amelia Donald Ankerville Grove-Ross and they had 7 children.

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In 1867 he was elected by the voters in Douglas (the capitol of the Isle) as new Speaker in the House of Keys. He remained in this position until his death on November 9, 1898 in Douglas. He was also appointed chairman of the Asylums Board and played an important role in the establishment of the Isle of Man Railway Company. He also sat in many boards of public organizations and did a lot for his native country. On January 7, 1896 he was honorably knighted by Queen Victoria. Bro. John was initiated as a Freemason on July 7, 1880 in the Tynwald Lodge, No. 1242, Douglas, Isle of Man. He was promoted to Companion on September 14, and to Master on December 1, 1880. In 1883 he was appointed V-Mr:. in that Lodge. In 1884 he founded a new Lodge, Ellan Vannin Lodge No. 2094, Douglas. In 1888, he was appointed as the first Lawful Grand Master of the newly established Provincial Grand Lodge of Freemasons on the Isle of Man and remained so until his death. He was incorporated into the Royal Arch at Athole, Chapter No. 1004, Douglas, on January 5, 1882. He became the First Princeps at Tynwald Chapter No. 1242, Douglas in 1891. A series of four stamps was issued on February 13, 2017 on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the first general election of “The House of Keys”. Bro. Goldie-Taubman is pictured on the 1-pound stamp. Bro. James Brown is shown on the 1.50-pound stamp.

Bro. James Brown was previously covered by both De Getand Rand and The Masonic Philatelic Club of Great Britain but not here. He was the Secretary to the Royal Isle of Man Lodge No. 133, Irish Constitution, formed in Douglas on March 12, 1857; its Charter was returned on December 6, 1888. Bro. Brown had been pictured on an earlier Isle of Man stamp issued on October 7, 2010. He, the son of a runaway slave, had settled in Liverpool after serving in the Royal Navy. He married a Liverpudlian, moved to the Isle of Man In 1846, and founded the IoM Times newspaper in 1861. He started a public war of words with the Keys, the unrepresentative, self-elected Parliament, and was sentenced to imprisonment for six months. After six weeks he was released because the Keys had no power to try or sentence Brown; he returned to Liverpool and became the first colored KC.

-These two articles and the illustrations were contributed by Bro. Emiel Crab, Editor of “De Getande Rand”, the newsletter of De Maconnieke Filatelistiche Studiegroep. Many thanks.